after-hours
adjective
occurring, engaged in, or operating after the normal or legal closing time for business.
Showing results for after-hours.
Search instead for
afterhours.
Jump To:
-
after-hours
-
after hours
after hoursAfter normal working hours, after closing time; also, after legal or established opening hours. For example, I haven't time while the shop is open, but I can see you after hours, or The restaurant employees sometimes stayed for a meal after hours. This term originally referred to laws governing business hours. It also gave rise to the term after-hours club, for a drinking club that remained open later than similar establishments. [Mid-1800s]
after-hours
American
[af-ter-auuhrz, -au-erz, ahf-]
/ ˈæf tərˈaʊərz, -ˈaʊ ərz, ˈɑf- /
adjective
after hours
Idioms
Usage
What does after-hours mean? After-hours describes something that happens after normal or legal hours of operation for a business or service, as in The after-hours party starts as soon as the bar closes for the night. After-hours can describe something that happens after its normal time, such as a business meeting that takes place after the close of the business day. In the US, many business offices close at 5 pm. A meeting that took place at 7 pm, for example, would be an after-hours meeting. After-hours can also describe something that happens after the allotted time. It’s generally used in situations in which something can be conducted after a business or program has ended and will still be honored. This use is most often used in reference to the stock market and investing, such as in the phrase after-hours trading. The New York Stock Exchange, for example, is only open from 9:30 am to 4 pm, but trading can be conducted at any time of the day. Finally, after-hours can simply describe something that happens late at night. You might find a restaurant that serves an after-hours breakfast, meaning they serve breakfast foods late at night, especially after midnight. Example: Joanie tried after-hours trading but found that she made more money during regular trading hours.
Etymology
Origin of after-hours
First recorded in 1925–30
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Shares dropped 24% to $17.81 in after-hours trading.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
The stock’s after-hours gains come on top of a 10% rally in Wednesday’s regular session.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
Better-than-expected results from Palantir Technologies weren’t enough to lift the stock in Monday’s after-hours action.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
The stock jumped more than 13% in after-hours trading after the report.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
The groups abroad that provide these after-hours readings are called “Nighthawks” by the American radiologists that employ them.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
Shares of the company fell 6% in after hours stock trading.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
The news sent SpaceX shares up nearly 8%, or $1.71, to $159.50 in after hours trading.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Jefferies Financial Group reported a 16% increase in quarterly profit, but its shares slipped after hours.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
That’s likely the reason why shares are volatile after hours, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
It was with a lot of fear in my heart when, after hours in the fields, a gentle knock at the door caught me just afore I was ’bout asleep.
From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
